SouthGroup Insurance Services is joining with Friends of Children’s Hospital for the 11th straight year to present the SouthGroup Make•A•Difference 5K Run/Walk on February 16, 2019 in Ridgeland.

This year’s race is special, says Bill McGraw of SouthGroup Yazoo Insurance Agency, in that it begins a new decade for SouthGroup’s involvement with the Children’s Hospital and other charities.

The 2018 race attracted over 400 runners and walkers, along with a host of co-sponsors from the insurance industry across the nation and local SouthGroup clients, to raise $30,000 for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital at The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

The run/walk, which has contributed over $270,000 for the hospital over the past 10 years, will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the SouthGroup headquarters offices in The Woodlands Office Park at County Line Road and Woodlands Parkway in Ridgeland. Pre-registration is available at www.southgroup.net.

According to McGraw, the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital treats over 150,000 children from every county in Mississippi each year for everything from cystic fibrosis and juvenile diabetes to pediatric heart disease, neurological disorders and other childhood illnesses.

“We are committed to helping Batson’s kids feel as comfortable as possible during their treatment process through our sponsorship of the Batson Child Life Program”, McGraw said.

The event will also include a one-mile fun run as well as activities for children.

“Runners and walkers come each year from all over Mississippi, and we are, again, looking for about 400 participants and hope to raise at least $25,000 for the Batson children,” McGraw continued. “We would certainly like to see participants from all of Yazoo County join us in Ridgeland the morning of February 16 either competing in the race for medals or just walking or simply making a contribution to support the children’s hospital”.

For more information, call the local SouthGroup office at 662 746 2651.